Peppermint Hot Chocolate Brownie Cookie_Gluten-Free, Soft and Delicious:

Gluten Free Cookie Soft and Delicious

Baking season is upon us once again so why not try a new recipe this year. 
I did, I took a new cookie recipe and adapted it to our needs and what I had on hand. 
This version of peppermint hot chocolate brownie cookie is gluten free, soft and delicious. Add it to your Christmas baking list, and to your recipe box so you can make this gluten free minty cookie any time through out the year.

Ingredients to Make Peppermint Hot Chocolate Brownie Cookie_Gluten-Free, Soft and Delicious:

·       2/3 cup olive oil

·       1½ cups organic monk fruit in raw blend; or 3/4 cup monk fruit in the raw blend & 3/4 coconut sugar for a sweeter cookie

·       1 T. water or crème de menthe

·       1 t. vanilla or crème de menthe

·       6 drops of Organic Peppermint Oil, essential oil not extract

·       2 eggs

·       1/3 cup dark cacao powder

·       ½ t. Himalayan salt

·       ¼ t. baking soda

·       1½ cups Bob Red Mills, Gluten Free all-purpose flour or Bob Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour

·       3/4-1 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions to Make Peppermint Hot Chocolate Brownie Cookie_Gluten-Free, Soft and Delicious:

1.     Preheat the oven to 375 F.

2.     In a large bowl, combine the olive oil and stevia/sugar blend.

3.     Mix in the water/crème de menthe, vanilla/crème de menthe and peppermint oil. Add the eggs and continue to blend.

4.     The recipe called to combine all dry products in another bowl; however, I have always found this an unnecessary step. Gradually add the cacao powder, salt, baking soda and gluten free flour. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated.

5.     Stir in the dark chocolate chips.

6.     Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 minutes for a soft cookie.

7.     Let the cookies cool slightly, and then dive in to get that nice minty chocolate flavor.

8.     I got 21 cookies so adjust accordingly to the size you make yours.

Cowboy Cookie Recipe: not just for cowboys

I saw the recipe for Cowboy Cookies on Facebook. Social media is a great way to get new recipes and after baking my first batch of Cowboy Cookies, I am glad it is. 

After seeing the initial recipe for Cowboy Cookies, I was curious to how many the recipe made. Googling the Cowboy Cookie recipe I discovered there were many sites with a recipe; however, the only thing that was consistent was the main ingredients. The walnuts, coconut, pecans and or raisins were different and or even optional.

Knowing my husband and daughter do not like coconut made that choice easier; no coconut here. I love all the options; therefore, I attempted to make them as the recipe I came across had.
I suddenly ran into a snag as the walnuts I had tasted bad, I had clearly had them far too long so into the trash they went. Seeing the pecans in the refrigerator drawer, and I really like them better, pecans now where part of our Cowboy Cookies I was making to give away.

Ingredients for Cowboy Cookies:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½  tsp Himalayan salt
• ½  tsp baking powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour; or gluten free flour if needed
  
• 2 cups organic oats
• 1 cup  dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup crushed walnuts or pecans as I used

Instructions to make Cowboy Cookies:

 

1.     Preheat the oven 350 degree Fahrenheit.

2.     Cream together the butter and sugars; add the eggs and mix well.

3.     Add the vanilla, baking soda, salt, and baking powder.

4.     Mix in the flour and oatmeal and after all is blended; add the chocolate chips and walnuts or pecans.

5.     Drop by large spoon on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

6.     Bake at 350 degrees for 12-16 minutes. 

**The baking time will vary on how big you make your Cowboy Cookies. I got 2 dozen per batch so they are fairly large and baking time longer.

Amish Drop Sugar Cookie Recipe

With the holidays right around the corner, people are baking cookies for family and friends. If you are one who will be baking cookies, you might consider the Amish drop sugar cookie recipe.

Unlike some sugar cookies, these are easy to make and soft and delicious. Amish drop sugar cookies start with real butter, which is so much healthier than margarine and shortening containing hydrogenated oils. Hydrogenated oils have trans fat that can lead to heart disease, cancer, bone problems plus so many other health problems and diseases.

Good cookie recipes such as the Amish drop sugar cookie recipe start with real butter. Not only are they healthier, provided you do not eat the whole batch, they simply taste better.

According to Mercola.com butter is better than imitations because; “Butter is a rich source of easily absorbed vitamin A, needed for a wide range of functions, from maintaining good vision to keeping the endocrine system in top shape. Butter also contains all the other fat-soluble vitamins (D, E and K2), which are often lacking in the modern industrial diet.”

Both Dr Mercola and the Mayo Clinic agree that butter is better than hydrogenated margarines or shortenings, as they are contain trans fat, which leads to heart disease, cancer, bone problems so many other health problems and diseases.

“When it comes to fat, trans fat is considered by some doctors to be the worst type of fat. Unlike other fats, trans fat — also called trans-fatty acids — both raises your "bad" (LDL) cholesterol and lowers your "good" (HDL) cholesterol. A high LDL cholesterol level in combination with a low HDL cholesterol level increases your risk of heart disease, the leading killer of men and women.” Therefore, when baking cookies for your family and friends, consider making your recipes a tad healthier yet still delicious.

Ingredients needed for making Amish drop sugar cookie recipe:

• Non-stick spray
• Baking sheets
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1-cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream or yogurt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Sprinkles or colored sugar

Instructions on making Amish drop sugar cookies:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Prepare the baking sheets by spraying with a non-stick spray.
3. Cream together the sugar and butter; add the eggs and beat well.
4. Add in the sour cream or yogurt, baking powder, baking soda and vanilla; little by little add the flour and beat until completely mixed.
5. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the baking sheets.
6. Sprinkle on the cookie dough, candied sprinkles or colored sugar.
7. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes.

 If you are one that will be baking cookies for Christmas, consider my recipe for Amish drop sugar cookies.

 

It's Christmas Cookie Time

Are you like me and you love to bake cookies? Doesn't it make Christmas time feel like Heaven? I truly am a cookie monster.

Whether you are baking regular or normal cookie recipes, or the gluten-free variety for family members, the Amish Drop Sugar Cookie and the Sugar Cookie Pumpkin Bar recipes are a must try.

Both recipes can easily be converted into  a gluten-free cookie.

 BOTH RECIPES ARE ON SEEKYT

                                              
This post linked to: Frugal Food Thursday

Sugar-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sugar-Free cookies are delicious and important for dieters as well as diabetics.

Sugar-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with sugar-free Hershey’s Chocolate Chips are even better.

Are you a diabetic or are you dieting and watching your weight but need just that little bit of sweetness to get you through the day? Carmen’s recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies will do just that.

Ingredients for Sugar-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies:

• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp flour; sifted
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• Electric mixer
• ½ cup butter; melted
• Splenda or stevia in the raw
• 1½ tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp water
• 1 egg
• Wooden spoon
• 6 oz package of Hershey’s sugar-free chocolate chips
• Greased baking sheets

 Instructions to make Sugar-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies:

 

1.     Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.     Sift the flour, add the baking soda and salt; set that bowl aside.

3.     Using another mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, splenda, vanilla and water. Mix it until smooth and creamy.

4.     Add in the eggs and beat, slowly adding the flour mixture until it is thoroughly combined.

5.     Stir in with a wooden spoon the Sugar-free chocolate chips.

6.     Grease your baking sheets.

7.     Using a teaspoon, drop the dough onto the baking sheets.

8.     Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Tips and Warning:

• Maltitol, the sugar alcohol that makes the sugar-free chocolate chips sweet comes with a warning label, the Hershey’s package reads, “individuals sensitive To sugar substitutes may experience a laxative effect. Maltitol, a sugar substitute, is a slowly metabolizedcarbohydrate that generally causes only a small rise in bloodglucose level.”
• This is the definition of maltitol by Wikipedia, “Maltitol is a sugar alcohol (a polyol) used as a sugar substitute. It has 75-90% of the sweetness of sucrose (table sugar) and nearly identical properties, except for browning. It is used to replace table sugar because it has fewer calories, does not promote tooth decay, and has a somewhat lesser effect on blood glucose. In chemical terms, maltitol is known as 4-O-α-glucopyranosyl-D-sorbitol. It is known under trade names such as Maltisorb, Maltisweet and Lesys.”
• Sugar-Free cookies will not get golden brown, they will just get hard, do not over bake.